Medical Technologist (MT)

## Description

**Primary Purpose:** To perform complex lab analyses on patient specimens and to report the results to the appropriate recipient.

**Formal Policy-Setting Responsibilities**: Formally responsible for providing input into policies associated with the job’s purpose and essential responsibilities.

**Routine Decision Making:** Prioritizing workflow; determine if specimen results are acceptable and accurate; determine if results of quality control are within reasonable levels; and if panic values exist.

**Formal Supervisory Responsibility:** No formal supervisory responsibility.

**Unusual Working Conditions:** Risk of blood, body fluid contamination.

**Work Schedule:** The Medical Technologist will be expected to work assigned shifts, weekends, rotating holidays, on-call, and as needed determined by the Laboratory director.

**Age Specific Competencies:** Provides care for birth to pediatric (birth-2 yrs.), pediatric/child patients between (2 yrs-12 yrs); adolescent patients between 12 to 18 years of age; adult patients between 18 to 64 years; and geriatric patients 65 years and older.

**Essential Responsibilities and Tasks**

**All essential responsibilities and tasks are performed while meeting or exceeding Cass Regional’s Patient Satisfaction goals as measured by Press Ganey.**

**Conducts waived, moderately complex, and highly complex laboratory testing procedures. (50% of time)**

• Checks relevancy of test and/or method of test ordered.
• Verifies adequate supplies are available to perform all tests ordered before testing is performed.
• Evaluates any specimen to be suitable for analysis before testing is performed and rejects any specimen not suitable, documenting according to procedure.
• Performs tests ordered and verifies accuracy of test results prior to releasing report.
• Enter or verify patient test results in the computer within established time frame.
• Utilizes standard precautions at any time contact with bio-hazardous materials is possible.
• Documents verification procedures and any other information relevant to test results in the computer system.
• Monitors temperatures and investigates/documents corrective action for any temperatures that are out of range.
• Processes send-out tests (LabCorp) and ensures specimen requirements are up-to-date.
• Responds to codes/traumas as appropriate/needed.
• Performs preliminary review of monthly QC and maintenance as requested by Lead MT or Lab Director.
• Appropriately utilizes computer system; recognizes, reports, and mitigates problems and errors.
• Covers other departments as needed to maintain departmental workflow as needed (ex. lunches, outpatient/inpatient phlebotomy, etc.)
• Helps maintain departmental supply by ordering or notifying appropriate personnel o supply needs.

**Conducts quality assurance, quality control, and maintenance procedures for laboratory tests. (35% of time)**

• Tests quality control in the time frames established.
• Performs analyzer maintenance procedures, as required by the manufacturer.
• Calibrates analytes.
• Determines acceptability of quality control results before patient testing occurs.
• Performs competency, proficiency testing and/or test validation as assigned.
• Calls critical values and documents within expected timeframes.
• Performs troubleshooting procedures on automated analyzers according to operator's manual and technical service.
• Properly documents quality control and instrument troubleshooting.
• Maintains a clean, well-stocked work area, and appropriate reagent volume on analyzers.
• Maintains adequate inventory control of assigned area.

**Anatomic Pathology Collection and Processing. (10% of time) (Night shift staff <1% of time)**

• Prepares biopsy, bone marrow and FNA supplies prior to the start of the procedure.
• Accurately identifies all specimens and specimen types for anatomic evaluation as directed by physician and procedure.
• Completes pathology accessioning with required information to send to pathology and registers patient information in to appropriate log.
• Completes the post analytical process by appropriately charging anatomic procedures and distributing reports to physicians.

**Obtain laboratory specimens from inpatients, outpatients, and emergency department patients. (5% of time) (Night Shift staff 10% of time)**

• Properly identifies each patient using dual identifiers; matches labels to order and/or to patient; labels in the presence of the patient.
• Good blood collection skills using venipuncture or capillary techniques and adhering to procedure as detailed in the Technical Procedure manual.
• Documents date, time and draw site of specimen collection in the computer with the appropriate collectors’ initials.
• Accurately completes urine drug screen collections according to policy and client.

**ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS**

• Medium Work: Lifting 100# maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 25#.

**PHYSICAL DEMANDS**

• Lifting: Raising or lowering an object from one level to another (includes upward pulling).
• Carrying: Transporting an object, usually holding it in hands or arms or on the shoulders.
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching, or running on a narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces; or maintaining body equilibrium when performing gymnastic feats.
• Hearing: Ability to determine audible communication.
• Stooping: Bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist.
• Kneeling: Bending the legs at the knees to come to rest on the knee or knees.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending the legs and spine.
• Reaching: Extending the hands and arms in any direction.
• Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with the hand or hands (fingering not involved).
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, or otherwise working with the fingers primarily (rather than with the whole hand or arms as in handling).
• Repetitive Motions: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Seeing: Obtaining impressions through the eyes of the shape, size, distance, motion, color or other characteristics of objects.
• Acuity, far - clarity of vision at 20 feet or more.
• Acuity, near - clarity of vision at 20 inches or less.
• Depth perception - ability to judge distance and space relationships so as to see objects where and as they actually are.
• Field of vision - area seen up and down or to the right or left while eyes are fixed.
• Accommodations - adjustment of the lens of the eye to bring an object into sharp focus.
• Color vision- the ability to identify and distinguish colors.

**WORKING CONDITIONS**

• Inside: Worker spends approximately 75% or more of time inside.
• Noise and Vibration: Sufficient noise, either constant or intermittent to cause marked distraction or possible injury to the sense of hearing and /or sufficient vibration (production of an oscillating movement or strain on the body or its extremities from repeated motion or shock) to cause bodily harm if endured day after day.
• Infectious Disease: Risk of exposure to biohazardous materials, blood, body fluid contamination.

## Qualifications

**Education and Certification/ Registration required for the Position:** Must meet the requirements outlined in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of section **§493.1489** of the CLIA Federal Regulations.National certification preferred.

**Required Knowledge:** Knowledge laboratory operation, testing methodologies and normal and abnormal values; understand the functions and operation of instruments; familiar with CLIA regulations.

**Required Skills and Ability:** Phlebotomy; computer skills; ability to work with instrumentation and troubleshooting instruments.